Promise
by Maria Lynette
Summary: Summary: Part II in the Lift series! Just when Hermione begins to forget her brief sensual encounter with Lucius in the lift, she finds herself alone with him in an empty corridor.  This part of a trilogy of ficlets. The last one will be rated M.


Promise

It was a fitting conclusion to a gratifying week.

In his mind, Lucius Malfoy was already lounging in his stately study and enjoying the sweet flavor of a premium cigar paired with the deep aroma of his brandy. He was only moments away from holding the snifter in his hand and relaxing in his plush armchair until he acted on a sudden impulse to take a longer route to the Floo.

Pausing outside of the Minister's office, he listened to the quiet rhythm of her footsteps approaching the other side of the door and smiled as he imagined her delicate ankles in those impossible four-inch patent leather heels that had been making his blood boil since the day he first noticed them in the lift.

Making another impulsive decision, he chose to retreat into the darkness of the corridor just as Hermione began her exaggerated struggle to push open the heavy mahogany door with her backside while balancing articles in both arms. As luck would have it, there was a small recess in the wall directly across from her office, and the shadows concealing him were the product of the sconces having been extinguished only minutes before.

Ever the shameless voyeur, he watched her stumble gracelessly into full view. He prayed to all that was sacred in the Wizarding world that she would drop everything that she held in those dainty arms of hers. He wanted—no, he _needed_ to see her bend over in that slim-fitting pencil skirt. His very wellbeing depended upon it. The seams running down the backs of her vintage Muggle stockings were already causing a distinct tightening of his trousers. His physical appearance was one of reserved confidence as he stood proud and silent against the wall, but his mind was in bittersweet turmoil over the forbidden fruit fidgeting adorably in front of him while trying to manage her cumbersome baggage.

HG**LM

It was a fitting conclusion to a dreadful week.

A bouquet of assorted flowers had appeared on Hermione's desk on Monday with a card from Lucius Malfoy, which explained in his ridiculously neat handwriting that he had gotten her one each of every flower as he didn't know which one was her favorite.

Just when she had thought that her overactive mind was recovering from their little rendezvous, it had been thrust back into the realm of guilty desires. Not only had she contended with an unusually heavy workload all week long, but also she had successfully avoided Lucius for most of the week. Her only failure had been at the monthly budget meeting on Wednesday, but she could hardly avoid seeing him at meetings. After all, he was the head of the Ministry's finance department.

She was already fretful about the argument that was sure to take place as soon as Ron saw the amount of work that she was precariously balancing in her tired arms. She had a nasty habit of taking work home with her on weekends when the children were at Hogwarts, but she had honestly meant to leave this particular weekend open in order to nurture her mundane marriage.

As her heavy office door slammed shut behind her, a growl of frustration crossed her lips and echoed down the deserted corridor. She couldn't ward the door without the wand that had surely settled to the very bottom of her bulky handbag. Shuffling all of the paperwork under one arm, she removed the bag from her shoulder, held it between her hip and the wall, and frantically searched through the contents of the bag with her free hand. She loudly berated herself for not charming the bag to hold everything.

In a careless instant, she allowed her bag to slip down the wall. She drove her hand down to catch it, losing both her paperwork and the handbag in the process. Without her wand, she had no choice but to gather her things by hand. She slowly lowered herself to her knees and restacked the paperwork before impatiently reaching for her overturned handbag. A loose Galleon slipped from the bag and hit the marble floor with a faint ring. Her eyes followed the coin as it rolled across the floor until the toe of a black boot stopped it. Squinting into the darkness, she could just see the shape of a man's boots on the edge of the shadows. She blushed at the realization that she wasn't alone.

HG**LM

Hermione's accusing voice rang out across the empty space. "Who are you?"

Taking a bold step forward, Lucius' mischievous eyes and haughty smirk indicated that he was enjoying the show.

"Mr. Malfoy! You stood there watching me this entire time and it never occurred to you that I might need help?" Her eyes were just as accusing as her harsh voice as she glared into his face without blinking.

With a wave of his wand, the contents of her handbag flew from all directions of the floor and returned the their proper place. "Now, I've helped."

She huffed, "You know what I mean, Malfoy! Why didn't you help me before?"

Placing his wand back inside of his walking stick, he drawled, "Now, why would I do that? When would I ever get another opportunity to see the Minister for Magic on her knees in front of me? You made it very clear to me in the lift that it would never happen . . . but it appears that you were mistaken."

Hermione couldn't decide between feeling aroused, offended, or guilty. Her gaze wandered from his eyes to the floor.

"Damn you, Lucius!"

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "So I'm Lucius now, am I? How delicious that sounds coming from your pouty lips, my dear."

Instead of accepting his extended hand, she located her wand, warded the door, and gathered her belongings in her arms. She stood facing away from him without a word.

As she attempted to walk away, he placed a warm hand at her waist. She shivered in delight, but she still made no move to face him. After a moment, she took a step away from him, and his hand fell to his side.

"I know you want to stay, Hermione."

"No, Lucius, I don't—I can't. You and I have always been enemies, and this is a public place. Think of the scandal we might cause."

"The next time we find ourselves alone, witch, it will be behind closed doors. I'll leave you with that promise."

She waited for his footsteps to fade away before releasing a heavy breath and whispering, "Merlin, I hope so."


End file.
